Bureaucracy and legal Overregulation in Germany - A regional historical View (Bürokratie und gesetzliche Regulierungswut in Deutschland - Ein regionalhistorischer Blick)
Author : Wolfgang Wüst
Abstract :
The phenomenon of bureaucracy is older than the modern state. Bureaucracy, as a phenomenon of time that cannot be dated selectively, has always been a part of our civilization. The essential characteristics of bureaucracy have included:
1. An “orderly” system of written rules,
2. The delineation of functions, offices and components of action,
3. The selection of officials and functionaries according to qualifications, whereby social networks and personal relationships can play a secondary role,
4. The principle of written communication, although oral communication and decision-making channels must not be ignored, and
5. Hierarchically structured, “impersonal” positioning in administrative and action processes with the goal of rational planning, predictability and reliability.
From a positive point of view, bureaucracy is indispensable for the division of labor and the differentiated management of complex organizational and governance tasks. The case study refers in particular to Bavarian examples. It is inspired by source editions on “good policey” at the Department of History of the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg.
Keywords :
Bureaucracy, overregulation, administrative process, decision-making, Germany, Bavaria, Memmingen, Lohr am Main
